2 Peter 2
As there were false prophets among the people, so there will be false teachers among you — ‘false teacher’ is once in the New Testament, built like ‘false prophet’ at Matt 7:15, and the two stand side by side in one verse. They bring in alongside sects of destruction, denying the Master who bought them — ‘Master’ is the word for a slave’s owner at 1 Tim 6:1, so the picture of buying runs on. The judgement from long ago is not idle and their destruction does not grow drowsy — the text sets both up as persons. vv.4-8 put five conditionals in a row and the main clause comes only at v.9: one sentence. Three examples (angels, the ancient world, Sodom and Gomorrah) with two rescues set inside them (Noah, Lot). He cast the angels into Tartarus with ropes of murk — a place-name from Greek myth, transliterated as this edition transliterates Gehenna. He kept Noah as the eighth — the eighth of what is not said. Lot, dwelling among them, by seeing and hearing day after day tormented his righteous life with their lawless works — the verb is active, so Lot torments his own life. v.10 breaks the sentence and throws in two nouns. What the ‘glories’ are is not said. These are like unreasoning living creatures born by nature for capture and corruption — ‘unreasoning’ is the negative of ‘word’. Spots and blemishes — standing against ‘without spot or wrinkle’ at Eph 5:27, and here it is these men, not the assembly. Balaam is called ‘son of Bosor’ — other editions read ‘Beor’, and the base text’s reading is followed. A voiceless beast of burden, speaking with a man’s voice, prevented the prophet’s loss of mind — there is no word for a donkey, and ‘lawbreaking’ and ‘loss of mind’ stand side by side, two words once each sharing a prefix. These are waterless springs and fogs driven by a squall — in both the thing that should be there is missing. The murk that bound the angels is kept for them. Promising freedom while they are slaves of corruption: by whatever anyone is overcome, to that he is enslaved. What the true proverb says has come upon them — ‘a dog turned back to its own vomit’ is Prov 26:11, and ‘a washed sow to wallowing in the mire’ is not in scripture, and the text names no place for either. ‘Sow’ is feminine, and so is the participle.
Why this rendering
2Pet.2.3 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἐγένοντο δὲ καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐν τῷ λαῷ … ψευδοδιδάσκαλος ‘false teacher’ is once in the New Testament, built like ψευδοπροφήτης ‘false prophet’ at Matt 7:15 — the two stand side by side in one verse · αἵρεσις ‘sect’ is the word of Acts 5:17, where it was the sect of the Sadducees · ἀπώλεια ‘destruction’ comes at vv.1 and 3, framing the phrase within v.1 · δεσπότης ‘Master’ is the word for a human owner at 1 Tim 6:1 and is used here of Christ — ‘the Master who bought them’, so the picture of slaves runs on · ταχινός ‘swift’ returns from 1:14 · ἐξακολουθέω ‘follow out’ returns from 1:16 — there the myths were not followed, here many follow the indecencies · παρεισάγω, πλαστός and ἀργέω are all once · v.3 sets judgement and destruction up as persons — not idle, not growing drowsy.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text sets two words of one shape side by side in one verse.
Basis It is the word for a slave’s owner at 1 Tim 6:1, and here he bought them.
Basis The text makes judgement and destruction the subjects — smoothing them away would lose the picture.
Lost in translation
ψευδοπροφήτης / ψευδοδιδάσκαλος (v.1) — two of one shape side by side. Both match the shape.
ἀπώλεια twice (vv.1 · 3) — one word framing. Both keep it.
δεσπότης (v.1) — the word for a human owner at 1 Tim 6:1. Both stand alike.
ἐξακολουθέω (v.2) — returning from 1:16. Both stand alike.
ἀργέω (v.3) — one root with ‘idle’ at 1 Tim 5:13. Both keep the word ‘idle’.
Judgement and destruction (v.3) — set up as persons. Both keep them as subjects.
Why this rendering
2Pet.2.9 Observation
Syntactic observation
Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἀγγέλων ἁμαρτησάντων οὐκ ἐφείσατο … vv.4-8 set five conditional clauses in a row and the main clause comes only at v.9 — one sentence across six verses · three examples (angels, the ancient world, Sodom and Gomorrah) with two rescues set inside them (Noah, Lot) · ταρταρόω ‘cast into Tartarus’ is once in the New Testament, the name of a place in Greek myth, so it is transliterated, as this edition transliterates γέεννα · σειρά ‘cord’ is also once, kept apart from ἅλυσις ‘chain’ at Mark 5:3 · τεφρόω ‘reduce to ashes’, ἐγκατοικέω ‘dwell among’ and βλέμμα ‘seeing’ are once too · ὄγδοον Νῶε ‘Noah as the eighth’ — the eighth of what the text does not say · ῥύομαι ‘rescue’ comes at vv.7 and 9 · ἄθεσμος ‘unprincipled’ stands only at 2:7 and 3:17 · ἐβασάνιζεν at v.8 is active, so Lot torments his own life.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It is a place-name from Greek myth, as γέεννα is transliterated — ‘hell’ would merge the two.
Basis The text does not say — ‘with seven others’ would add a count it does not have.
Basis The text makes Lot the subject with ‘righteous life’ as object.
Lost in translation
Five conditionals (vv.4-8) — the main clause only at v.9. Both keep one sentence.
ταρταρόω (v.4) — a place-name. Both transliterate.
σειρά (v.4) — a different word from the chain of Mark 5:3. Both keep them apart.
ὄγδοον (v.5) — the eighth of what is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
ῥύομαι twice (vv.7 · 9) — Lot and the pious rescued by one verb. Both keep it.
ἐγκατοικέω (v.8) — two prefixes on οἰκέω at Rom 7:17. Both keep only ‘among’.
Why this rendering
2Pet.2.16 Observation
Syntactic observation
μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς ὀπίσω σαρκὸς ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ μιασμοῦ πορευομένους … v.10 breaks the sentence and throws in two nouns like a hail (daring ones, self-willed) · what the plural δόξας ‘glories’ names the text does not say — whether angels or men is left unfilled · v.12 likens them to ἄλογα ζῷα ‘unreasoning living creatures’, the negative of λόγος · φθορά ‘corruption’ comes twice at v.12 and once at v.19 · σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι ‘spots and blemishes’ stands against ‘without spot or wrinkle’ at Eph 5:27 — here it is these men, not the assembly · τρυφή ‘luxury’ and ἐντρυφάω come on one root at v.13 · v.15 calls Balaam ‘son of Bosor’ — other editions read ‘Beor’, and the base text carries ⸀Βοσόρ · παρανομία and παραφρονία stand side by side at v.16, both once and sharing a prefix · ὑποζύγιον ‘beast of burden’ is the word of Matt 21:5, and there is no word for a donkey.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text breaks off and throws in two nouns — smoothing would lose the break.
Basis The text does not say — ‘angels’ would add a word it does not have.
Basis Other editions read ‘Beor’; the base text carries Βοσόρ, and it is not replaced by the familiar name.
Lost in translation
The break at v.10 — two nouns thrown outside the sentence. Both keep it.
δόξας (v.10) — what they are is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
ἄλογος (v.12) — the negative of λόγος. English breaks that root.
τρυφή / ἐντρυφάω (v.13) — one root in one verse. Both keep ‘luxury’.
παρανομία / παραφρονία (v.16) — two sharing a prefix, side by side. Neither locale carries it.
ὑποζύγιον (v.16) — there is no word for a donkey. Neither locale adds one.
Why this rendering
2Pet.2.22 Observation
Syntactic observation
Οὗτοί εἰσιν πηγαὶ ἄνυδροι ⸂καὶ ὁμίχλαι⸃ ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι — the springs have no water and the fogs are driven by wind — in both the thing that should be there is missing · ὁμίχλη ‘fog’, ὀλίγως ‘scarcely’, ἐξέραμα, ὗς, κυλισμός and βόρβορος are all once in the New Testament · ζόφος ‘murk’ returns from v.4 — what bound the angels is kept for these · δελεάζω ‘entice’ comes at vv.14 and 18, the verb of Jas 1:14 · ἀποφεύγω ‘flee away from’ returns from 1:4 — there from corruption, here from defilements · ἡττάομαι ‘be overcome’ comes at vv.19 and 20 · v.22 joins two proverbs — the first is Prov 26:11, the second is not in scripture, and the text names no place for either · ὗς is a sow, so the participle is feminine too · παροιμία ‘proverb’ stands apart from ‘figure’ at John 10:6.
Rendering options · 3
Basis ‘Figure’ at John 10:6 renders the word John used in place of παραβολή; here it is a saying in common use.
Basis The text uses a feminine word and a feminine participle — ‘pig’ would merge it with χοῖρος.
Basis The text says no ‘as it is written’ — only the first is in Proverbs.
Lost in translation
Waterless springs, driven fogs (v.17) — what should be there is missing. Both render it.
ζόφος (vv.4 · 17) — the murk that bound the angels is kept for these. Both keep one word.
ἀποφεύγω (vv.18 · 20) — returning from 1:4. All three stand alike.
ὗς (v.22) — a feminine word with a feminine participle. Both render the gender.
Two proverbs (v.22) — no place named. Neither locale supplies one.
παροιμία (v.22) — the word of John 10:6 in another place. The two take different words.